Ag in the Bible – His Sheep

A shepherd reads the Bible much differently than someone who hasn’t spent time with sheep. Someone not in tune with sheep think they’re special. They’re included in a more valued way because He looks over and mentions them more than other animals. I read an interesting blurb from a book called “Wisdom for Everyday Living” which I’ll quote below as a base thought. (Cool book too! Check it out!)

We Are His Sheep
God often refers to his children as sheep. Psalm 95:7 reads, “For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. ”
Sheep have several unique characteristics. First they cannot protect themselves. They are defenseless animals. Second, they easily wander from the shepherd’s path, so they must be watched over constantly. Third they must be led to food and water.Unlike most animals,they have no natural sense of what is good or bad for them. Fourth, they must be constantly cleaned. Their skin is naturally greasy, which causes their wool to pick up everything in their environment, such as burrs, seeds, dirt and bugs. Without constant tending, sheep make a mess of themselves. Fifth, because of their natural tendency to pick up all kinds of parasites and diseases, the shepherd must look over each of his sheep daily to make sure that none is infested.
When we mull it over, it seems as though God created sheep specifically to be a spiritual example for his people. How grateful we should be for his daily, watchful care. The old hymn by Joseph Hart, “How Good Is the God We Adore” is still true today: “How good is the God we adore, our faithful, unchangeable friend! His love is as great as his power, and knows neither measure or end!” Let’s give thanks today for our Great Shepherd. – Ron Hindt, Senior Pastor, Calvary Chapel, Houston Texas.

We shouldn’t see it as valued to be separate but as depending on him in a way others in the animal kingdom do not! When a sheep’s fleece is full of burrs and trash it isn’t good for using for anything. Sheep need guidance, tending, protection.

It was the shepherds watching flocks at night that received word of His birth. It was sheep that we were compared to repeatedly in the Bible. That can’t be accidental.